Formula One's $1 million book

By James Masters, CNN

Updated 5:21 AM ET, Tue November 12, 2013

The million dollar book: The Bernie4 photos

'The Bernie' – How much? 'The Bernie' is the biggest and most expensive book to ever be compiled on the history of Formula One. Costing a million dollars the book also includes four all-access passes to every single grand prix for the 2014 season as well as the autographs of every single world champion.

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The million dollar book: The Bernie4 photos

Picture perfect – Ecclestone has worked with Opus Media to create a book which weighs 37 kilograms and is packed with 1200 photographs illustrating the history of F1.

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The million dollar book: The Bernie4 photos

Not just a book – Encased in a gleaming carbon-fiber case, the 852-page book is already attracting interest from across the world with bids being launched by at least three different corporate groups.

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The million dollar book: The Bernie4 photos

Sign on the line – The book will be auctioned in Abu Dhabi in December with organizers confident of attracting more bids before the deadline.

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Story highlights

"The Official Formula One Opus BERNIE Edition" has $1 million reserve price

The 852-page book weighs 37 kilograms

Three bids already made for the book according to Opus Media

Winner will also receive four all-access season passes for each grand prix

There are books -- and then there are books. And this one doesn't come cheap.

So if you love Formula One and want to spend a year following the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso across the world, this is the only book for you -- if you have a spare million dollars.

Up for auction in December, with three bids already secured, "The Official Formula One Opus BERNIE Edition" also comes with a signature sheet adorned with the original autographs of the 22 F1 world champions.

A former banker, Fowler set up Opus Media in 2007 and has since crafted a number of other books which have focused on the likes of Ferrari, Michael Jackson, NFL Superbowl and Manchester United.

But the Bernie -- arriving in its carbon-fiber case, gleaming like a piece of treasure waiting to be plundered -- takes the concept to an altogether new level.

"We've already had three serious bids for the book," Fowler revealed.

"We always thought that the bids would come from two areas -- wealthy individuals who are looking to have some fun and great experiences or from corporate businesses.

"We've had one bid from a banking entity, one from a hedge fund and another from a Russian investment company.

"For a business, this is a great investment, especially if you have offices all over the world. You could take three different clients each day for three days on each weekend and you can do that 20 times a year.

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Whoever finally ends up winning the auction will also be able to sell individual races with Fowler estimating that the lure of the Monaco Grand Prix could go for as much as $100,000.

The book has been nearly six years in the making with Fowler working with Ecclestone to produce arguably the most definitive look at F1.

Beginning at the start of the F1 World Driver's Championship in 1950, the book charts the course of the sport, taking in those who are synonymous with the roaring engines of the sport.

It takes in each and every circuit in detail, gives an insight into the colorful characters who entertained fans such as James Hunt and Juan Manuel Fangio before moving on to Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and current four-time world champion Vettel.

Chasing the 22 different signatures of F1 champions didn't prove easy. Fowler had two men flying across the world for two years to collect every autograph.

They flew to Brazil to obtain Nelson Piquet's signature, secured Jack Brabham's in Australia and managed to catch Kimi Raikkonen in Finland.

As well as the one-off edition, there are also 1500 copies of the silk-covered $3,200 "classic" which will be signed by Ecclestone, with the $32,000 "champions" edition accompanied by autographs of every single F1 world champion.

Perhaps Ecclestone's involvement in the book has proved a welcome distraction from his ongoing legal problems.

He has denied making corrupt payments to a German banker to facilitate the sale F1, testifying for four days in London's High Court before heading to this weekend's U.S. Grand Prix in Texas.

"Working with Mr Ecclestone is a combination of him being highly demanding, fun and challenging," added Fowler.

"You have to be on the ball because he always is. His attention to detail is phenomenal.

"He really bought into what we were trying to do which was present the sport on scale where all the iconic images are seen how they were meant to be seen.

"In 99.9% of the books, pictures have been heavily cropped. We want to show them in the way the photographer wanted them to be shown."